Coin-controlled vending-machine.



No. 682,573. Patanted Sept. IO, |90|.

B. w. soon.

COIN CONTHOLLED VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed .Tupe 7, 1900.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

71//nesses THE nonms PETERS co,, PHO|0:LITHO., msumorou. o. c.

No. 682,573. Patented Sept. ID, |90|. r B. w. SCDT,,T.

com CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 7, 1900.)

(No Model.)

me nomas PETER: cc PNO|OLITHO., WASHINGTON, o c4 No. 682,573. Patehtedse t; IO, l90l..

B. w. SCOTT. CDIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

(Application flld June 7, 1900. (lo Model.) 3 Shouts-Sheet 3.

m: NORms persas 0o., PMDYO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTON W. SCOTT, OF SAN JOS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TQ THE GLOBEDEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COlN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,573, datedSeptember 10, 1901.

Application filed June 7,1900. r Serial No. 19,444. (No modeli) To ctlZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTON W. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of San J ose, in the county of Santa Clara andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inCoin-Controlled Vending-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

Y This invention relatos to improvements in to machines or apparatus forvending mechanically small books, pamphlets, or packages from a box orcabinet in return for a piece of money or a token of fixed denominationdeposited in the apparatus, the mechanism being unlocked or put inoperativo condition by the inserted coin, so as to vend or give out oneof the articles for each coin or token so deposited, the presentimprovements having for their object, mainly, to simplify the construction of the controlling mechanism and to render that part of theapparatus more certain and reliable in its operation.

To such end and object the invention consists in certain novelconstruction and combination of parts producing an improved eoinactuated controlling mechanism for vending machines or apparatus, ashereinaf ter described, and pointed out in the clai ms at the end ofthis specification, reference be- .3o ing had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents in front elevationa vending-machinecontaining this improved meehanism, the parts concealed within the casebeing indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with theback of the case removed to expose the parts inside, Fig. 3 is a plan ortop view of the mechanism removed from the case. Fig. 4

0 is a front view of the eoin-controlled locking mechanism. Fig. 5 is avertical transverse section through Fig. 4 on the line 00 cc. Fig. 6 isa top view of the rotary disk seen in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a frontelevation of returns the handle to the starting-point when it isreleased after each operation. Fig. 10' is a detail of the hand-crank,showing the 'friction-clutch that c0nnects it to the shaft.

A indicates the case of the machine containing and protecting themechanism and the articles to be.vended.

B B are two racks upon a stationary frame composed of the side bars D Dand the sta- G G are side bars joning the movable plates F Ftogether andholding them at a fixed distance apart about equal to the distancebetween the two plates E E.

H H are cranks on a shaft O, one at each end outside the frame, and I Iare rods or pitmen connecting the two side bars G G to the eran ks. Astheshaft is rotated the plates F F are caused to slide longitudinallyover the bottom plates E. The distance between the two slides F and alsothe length of the cranks is such that in one-half a complete revolutionof the crank-shaft one slide traveling toward one of the bottom plateswill move a distance equal to the length of the plate while the otherslide, moving in the opposite direction over the bottom plate F on theother side of the central open space, will have a length of strokesuffieient to set that slide clear of the stationary plate under it. Ineach half-revolution of the crank-shaft, therefore, one slide will pushout the bottom book in the pile above and will discharge the -booklaterally into the open space in the frame between the two racks; butthe other slide will move laterally from under the pile in the otherrack and having a length of stroke suflicient to withdraw the slideoutward from beneath the pile it will allow the lowermost book to dropintoposition directly in front of that slide, so that in the returnmovement of the slide the book will be pushed laterally from beneath thepile.

K is an inelined trough or runway extend- IOC ing from beneath thecentral open space in the frame downward and forward to an outlet L inthe front of the case.

M is a disk fixed on the shaft O in close relation to the inner side ofthe case-front, and N is a tubular coin-guide fixed to the casefrontover the disk and connected with the lower end of an inclined coin-chuteP. The higher end of this chute P is in line with a coin-slit R in thefront of the case, through which the coin is inserted.

S is a stationary trough set closely against the back face of the diskand in line with the guide N above, and T is an inclined chute extendingfrom one side of the trough S with an inclination toward the bottom ofthe case and behind and in line with a glass-covered sight-opening.

V V are two dogs pivotally attached to a stationary support Y above thedisk and having their free ends resting on the rim of the disk in closerelation to and on opposite sides of notches or shoulders m 71 in therim. The function of these dogs is to lock the disk and prevent it fromturning in either direction; but while one dog remains at all times inengagement with the disk, and therefore prevents rotation of that partin one di rection, the other dog, W, is raised and held ont of contactwith the rim of the disk and prevented from engaging the notch ndirectly by the inserted coin. The notches m n are situated on oppositesides of a pocket or recess p, formed in the rear face of the disk,partly by cutting away the rim on the rear face, as shown atp in Figs. 5and 6, and partly by two lugs or projections SX s", secured to the faceof the disk beneath and in line with the slot p, the last-mentionedparts being so placed that the coin resting upon them will projectpartially through the slotp and will stand above the rim of the disk. Inthat position, extending both above and to one side of the notch n thecoin stands edgewise in line with the point of the dog V, and as theshaft C is turned by the Crank U the coin will be carried toward the dogand the point or free end of that part will ride upon the edge of thecoin, instead of on the rim of the disk, until it has passed over thenotch n The disk then being free to rotate in that direction the shaft Ccan be turned sufliciently to operate the slides. A second coin pocketor recessp and a second set of notches n are arranged on the oppositeside of the center diametrically opposite, and at the end of ahalf-revolution the dogs V V will engage those notches and preventfurther rotation.

The means for throwing out the coin from the disk after it has done itswork consist of a curved finger t projectng from one side of astationary arm If and lying in a circular groove or recess w in thefront face of the disk. The point of this finger is presented toward thecoin as it lies in the pocket, and that side of the finger next to thecoin is boveled, so that the coin will be ejected laterally from thepocket and will drop into the trough S as the motion of the disk carriesthe coin toward the finger. One end of the arm tis fast to a collar tfitted loosely on the shaft in front of the disk, and the outer end isheld by a setscrew h, working through a concentric slot k, allowing thearm to be moved and the finger adj usted to meet the coin sooner orlater in the movement of the disk.

After the coins travel from the trough into the inclined runway T theyare retained in that receptacle by stop-pinsfg on a pivoted lever e,located at the lower end of the incline, the lever being pivoted at eand extending from that point of attachment toward the disk. The freeend of the lever stands under and in line with a stop-pin d on the diskM, in which position it is held by a spring c attached to the oppositeend of the lever and to a fixed point in the case. This releasng deviceoperates to set free the coin that is nearest the outlet end of therunway T and to hold back the next coin in every complete stroke made bythe lever. In each movement of release the end of the lever is firstcarried down by the stop-pin d thereby raising the stop f, and as theend of the lever passos from under the stop the spring c returns it toits first position. As the stop frises and sets free the lowest coin thestop g, moving in the contrary direction, engages and holds back thenext coin.

The sight-opening is of suitable length to expose five or more of thedeposited coins to view, and in setting up the machine it is usuallycharged with that number of coins to fill the opening. By insertinganother coin in the slot R the machine will be unlocked and a book willbe discharged at the outlet when the handle U makes a half-revolution inthe direction of the arrow ac, Fig. 1. In that movement the depositedcoin is ejected from the disk and will remain in sight in the runway Tuntil the succeeding operation of the machine brings it to the lowestpart of the opening, whence it is released from the stop fand allowed todrop into the lower part of the case.

As these parts are thus constructed and arranged for operation, itbecomes necessary to give the shaft O a short reverse movement afterhaving made a half-revolution in order to set the notch 77, on the riminto position with relation to the center of the coin-guide N and tobring the coin pocket or recess directly in line therewith to receivethe next coin that may be deposited, as shown in Fig. 8. This movementis produced by a spiral spring a, having one end attached to a fixedpoint a ina cnp-shaped collar a and the inner end attached to a splitcollar a held on the shaft by friction. The cup a is stationary, and theshaft extends through and turns loosely in the cup, while the collar aclamps the shaft with sufficient amount of friction to grip and turn itwhen the handle U is re- ICO IIO

leased. On the collar a is a short arm projecting at right angles to theshaft and setting between two stops t i on the the rim of the stationarycup, one of which arrests the movement of the shaft when it is turned bythe reactive force of the spring, and the other prevents the collar fromcontinuing to turn with the shaft when that part is being operated bythe handle. The collar is adj usted to grip the shaft with sufficientfriction to turn it after each operation as soon as the handle isreleased by the person working the machine, and as the spiral spring iswound up duringthat portion of the rotary motion which carries the armor projection on the collar from one stop to the other the powerobtained therefrom reacts on the shaft and turns it the distancerequired to reset the disk M as soon as the crank on the outside of thecase is released. V

The crank-handle U is secured to the shaft C by a friction clutch orgrip formed by splitting the crank-arm U and drawing the parts togetherupon the shaft by a screw a The proper degree of friction is thusmaintained between the crank-arm and the shaft to produce rotation ofthe shaft, and consequently of the disk, when the latter is not lockedand held by the dogs V W. When these dogs are in position to enga-ge thenotches and the disk is locked, the crank-arm will yield and slip on theshaft if any person should attem pt to turn the hand-crank withoutinserting the necessary coin to unlock the disk. This prevents the partsof the mechanism from being inj ured or strained by persons tamperingwith the crank.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A coin-actuated controlling mechanism for vending-machines,comprising the combination with a rotatable shaft connected with avending mechanism to operate the same; of a disk fixed on the shaft,coin-receivin g pockets in the disk located diametrically on oppositesides of the shaft and adapted to hold a coin or token of given size ina position projecting beyond the rim of the disk, a coinchute above thepocket, pivoted oppositelyacting dogs having their free ends resting onthe rim of the disk to engage oppositely-set notches therein, one ofsaid dogs being continuously in action to prevent retrograde movement ofthe disk, and the other dog being set to make contact with the other ofsaid dogs and raise the same clear of the notches in the rim in theforward movement of the disk, and means for ejecting the deposited coinfrom the pocket in the disk after the dog raised by the coin has passedover the notch in the r1m.

2. In a'coin-a0tuated controlling mechanism for vending-machines, thecombination With an operating-shaft giving motion to a vendingmechanism; of a disk fixed on the shaft having a coin-pocket in the rimin which a deposited coin Will rest with its edge standing beyond therim, a notch in the rim in line with the center of the pocket, alooking-dog engaging said notch and by engagement there= with preventingforward rotation of the disk, an oppositely-acting dog and a pluralityof notches in the rim beyond the pocket adapted to prevent retrogrademovement of the disk, a coimejecting means whereby the coin is expelledfrom the pocket after the looking-dog riding over the edge of the coinhas passed over the looking-notch and means connected to the shaft toimpart limited retrograde move= ment to set the disk after eachoperation in position to receive another coin.

3. In a coin-actuated controlling mechan ism for vending-machines, thecombination with the operating-shaft and Gontrolling-disk fixed thereon;of the coin-chute or runway adapted to receive thecoin from thecontrollingdisk, the oscillating stop-lever having stop-pins set withrelation to the runway as described, and the stop-pin on the control=ling-disk engaging the stop-lever at periods in the rotation of the diskto release one coin in every movementof the disk;

4. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with theoperating-shaft, of the means for resetting it to the startingpoint,consisting of the spiral spring having one end attached to a fixedpoint, the frictioncollar on the shaft to which the other end of thespring is attached, a projection on the collar, and the fixed stopsadapted to limit the movement of the collar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal.

BARTON W. SCOTT. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

M. REGNER, EDWARD E. OSBORN.

IOO

